Shoemaking



May 13, 1947. A. COCOZELLA 2 SHOEMAKING Filed Dec. 29, 1945 frzz/erzzoi"4.;-

Patented May 13, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOEMAKING AnthonyCocozella, Lynn, Mass.

Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,017

2 Claims. 1

This invention consists in an improved process of manufacturing shoes ofthe platform type disclosed in my prior Letters Patent No. 2,370,937,dated March 6, 1945. Shoes of this type are now being manufactured inmore extreme styles than heretofore, and the object of the presentinvention is to provide an economical and convenient process ofmanufacturing a platform shoe of streamline appearance having pronouncedarch curvature and carrying a heel of substantial height.

A shoe made in accordance with the process of my invention ischaracterized by a binding strip of leather or ornamental fabricattached at one edge to the margin of a stiff and substantial insole orplatform sole. The binding strip is wrapped around the outer edge ofthis sole and secured in place with its inturned edge concealed beneaththe outsole. The outturned margin of the upper is also secured to theplatform sole. There are very substantial advantages in attaching theupper and the binding strip, or platform cover, directly to the platformsole rather than to a flexible sock lining. If the upper and bindingstrip are attached in the first instance to a sock lining, anopportunity is introduced for inaccuracy in subsequently locating theplatform sole. This results in a serious defect in the appearance of theshoe. All of such dangers are obviated by the characteristic step of myprocess of first stitching the marginal edge of the upper and thebinding strip to a platform sole of substantial thickness andappreciable stiifness as compared to a sock lining.

In the manufacture of high style shoes it is sometimes desired to employa platform in the forepart of the shoe Which is too thick to beconveniently stitched. Going more into detail, it is an object of myinvention to provide a, process wherein a platform of pronouncedthickness may be employed and the advantages of direct stitchingpreserved. I have discovered that these desirable results may beachieved by stitching the marginal edge of an upper directly to aplatform sole of substantial but not of excessive thickness,

that is, a platform sole about of an inch thick, attaching one edge of abinding strip to the said sole, preferably by stitches passing throughthe margin of the upper and thesole itself, then locating n the outerface of the said sole a midsole or a platform section at least the samethickness as the already attached sole, trimming the edges of both solesso that they present an unbroken peripheral surface, and finallywrapping the binding strip about the edge of the combined soles. By thisprocedure the stitching operation may be conveniently carried out upon aplatform sole of moderate thickness such as operators are now used tohandling, and then after the stitching operation, the platform may bebuilt up to any desired thickness and then covered in the same manner inwhich the operator has become skilled in covering the edges of platformsoles.

These and other advantages of the invention will be best understood andapperciated from the following description of a preferred manner ofputting it into effect, illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentaryview in perspective, partly in section,illustrating the step of attaching the upper to a platform sole,

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the second step of the process,that is to say, attaching the binding strip,

Fig, 3 is a View in perspective suggesting the operation of evening theedges of the assembled platform sole sections,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the forepart and shank of the finishedshoe.

In carrying out the process of my invention as herein illustrated, aninsole, or a platform sole, or other sole piece it is first selectedfrom any desired platform sole stock, substantial in thickness andappreciably stifi in texture. Platform sole material comprising a groundcork composition in sheet form is now available in the shoemakingindustry, and this may be cut or died out in the proper shape for theplatform for the sole to be manufactured. The platform sole i0 is hereinshown as shaped with a square marginal edge, but this may be slightlyinclined if desired. The upper I2 is completed with or without a liningas desired and cut accurately according to pattern.

The first step of the process may be carried out with the assistance ofa straight needle sewing machine as suggested in Fig. 1 where the bed Mof the machine supports the platform sole Hi and a roller gauge ifi-ifiguides the marginal edge of the platform sole It) in a path beneath theneedle bar 26 such that a stitchline 2| is formed parallel to andadjacent to the marginal edge of the sole Hi. This line of stitchingpasses through the outturned margin of the upper 12 and through the fullthickness of the platform sole it, as clearly shown on a larger scale inFig. 4. The edge gauge is rotatably mounted on a sewing machine bed Mand comprises a freely rotatable roll it and a freely rotatableconcentric ring 3 which surrounds the roll l6 and provides effectivegauging surface against which the edge of the platform sole is held.

In carrying out the second step of my novel process, one edge of thebinding strip 22 is brought into registration with the previouslyattached edge of the upper I2, the ring 58 is removed from the gauge,and the platform sole is is advanced in apath gauged by the roller It,While a second row of stitching 23 is formed parallel to and slightlywithin the previously formed stitchline 2|. It will be understood thatsince the effective diameter of the gauge I6 is less than the effectivediameter of the gauge 56-43, a wider edge extension is provided beneaththe needle bar 29 in carrying outthe' sec:

ond step of the process than in carrying out the previous stitchingstep.

Having attached the upper and binding strip to the platform sole ill asabove eXp1ained, the partially formed shoe is inverted and amids'olesection or half sole 26 is accurately located upon the forepart of theplatform sole H1 and secured thereto by cement or other adhesive. Thesec tion 24 is coextensive with the fore'part of the platform sole andis provided with along beveled surface at its rear edge; The forwardedge of this beveled section should coincide substantially with the ballline of the finished shoe" a'ndthe beveled portion will be incorporatedsmoothly in the shank of the finished shoe. Having permanently attachedthe midsole section 24, the edges of both sections are trimmed so thatthey present an unbroken peripheral surface. There is, of course, notmuch material that needs to be removed in this step and satisfactoryresults may be secured by presenting the combined edges to a sandpaperroll 28 as shown in Fig. 3.

Having now built up the fore'part of the platform sole, it remains onlyto cover the composite edge surface of the resulting sole by wrappingthe binding strip 22 outwardly, drawing it tightly over the edgesurface, and turning its margin inwardly over or beneath the surface ofthe midsole section or of the platform sole [0, whichever is exposed' inthe shoe bottom. this operation' the binding strip encloses andcOnCeaIsthe raw' edge of the upper as well as both stitchlines 2! and 23, theperipheral surfaces of the platform sole It and the midsole section 24.The

two lines' of stitching are herein shown as being made of thread ofsubstantially the same weight, but if desired a lighter thread or alonger stitch maybe used in secunng the upper alone to the platform solethan is used for attaching the binding strip and the upper in the innerline of stitching 23. I 7

A last may be inserted in the shoe at any convenient stage of itsmanufacture. It is ccntemplated that at the most convenient time a lastmay be forcibly inserted and the insole conformed was contour by stepsusually followed in the manufacture of such shoes". A steel shank may beinserted at the proper time in order to maintain permanently thecurvature of the shank.

The shoe is completed by cementing an outsole 3D in place, shaping it tothe longitudinal curvature of the shoe bottom, and uniting it to thelower face of the platform sole and of the midsole section 24. Theoutsole, of course, conceals the line of juncture between the beveledsurface of the midsole and the platform sole and smoothly follows thecontour of the composite shoe bottom thus provided. In the finished shoethe effect is secured of a thick platform in the forepart mergingsmoothly into a shank of reduced thickness, and thus are achieved thestylish lines so much prized in shoes of the type shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative process exemplifying it, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. The process of making platform shoes, which includes the steps ofstitching the marginal edge of an upper directly to a platform soleabout -f of an inch in thickness, attaching one edge of a binding stripto the said sole by stitches passing through the margin of the upper andthe sole itself, locating on the outer face of the said sole a midsoleof at least the same thicktrees as the already attached sole, themidsole terminating in a beveled portion at its rear edge, attaching themidsole with its beveled portion adjacent to the ball line of theplatform sole so that the beveled portion will be incorporated in theshank of the finished shoe, trimming the edges of both soles so thatthey present an unbroken peripheral' surface, and then wrapping thebinding strip about the edge of the combined soles throughout theforepart of the shoe.

2. The process of making platform shoes, which includes the steps ofstitching the marginal edge of an upper directly to a full lengthplatform sole of substantial thickness, stitching one edge of a bindingstrip to the attached edge of the upper, cementing a half sole also ofsubstantial thickness to the outer face of the already-attached sole soas to present abeveled edge at the shank of the shoe, evening the edgesof both soles simultaneously so that they present a smooth compositeperipheral surface, and then wrapping the binding strip about the edgeof the combined soles in the forepart of the shoe and about the edge ofthe full length platform sole in the shank and heel-seat portions of theshoe.

ANTHONY COCOZELLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Cocoz'ella

